ELEVEN YEARS AT FARM WORK:
BEING A TRUE TALE OF FARM-SERVANT LIFE.
CHAPTER I.
keep one of them to fill dung, and before he put any of them away to take them all to the house, and to Tell Lizzie (i.e., the kitchen-maid) to gie them taties and butter milk, as they liket that kin’ o’ meat.” The boy, the next time he came in with the cart, had orders from the grieve to tell them that when they came to a certain part of the dunghill in filling the carts in the court to let him know, as the dung was “stronger,” and he would have to dung an extra drill with the load. This order, though seriously given and correctly delivered, the three idle fellows, bent on a piece of mischief of their own, took to be a hoax – an invention of the boy’s own – and in consequence the order was disobeyed, they thus bringing rebuke on themelves. However, they would have their ” fun” out. So the boy, on going back with another load was told to tell the grieve that one of the Irishmen had over-eaten himself, and they supposed him to be “riven,” and that Robbie, the cattleman, who was busy yoking the “shalt,” when going up the “cham’er” stairs to dress himself, had fallen down and broken one of his legs. The boy delivered the tidings to the grieve who told him to go for the doctor “at ance, when had in-bye the empty cart.”
On entering the court again, he was asked -“What said the grieve tae ye?”
“To gang for the doctor ance,” replied the boy, and away he went to put on jacket to go. He was followed by the foreman, who who told him he would have to drive out another load before he went away, and it would then be time to stop, and he could go.
biographies of the blockheads chiefly concerned ! Of course it was throughout a mean, foolish trick.
it is worth note, perhaps, that the men who thus made a tool of the poor unsophisticated boy, were actually married men and fathers of families. Truly seen they were of course making silly fools of themselves, and exhibiting the utter barbarity of their nature. What penalty their conduct in bringing the calling of the
physician into contempt merited, in order that the “ends of justice should be met at the hands of law.”
we shall not say.
We are not, however, to estimate farm-servants, above all other, as foolish and profligate. A great argument, in excuse on their behalf, is the want of knowledge. That they are occasionally equalled in sheer folly, or worse, by the class above them, the following ” rare scene” that I have next to relate, which
happened at the same place, will illustrate. Those I am here to refer to cannot lay any blame on ignorance, they being the daughters of a rich farmer. They were brought up under the tutorage of well-educated governesses, and no doubt had instilled into their young minds plenty of moral maxims, along with abundance of counsels regarding the social proprieties and refinements of life. We must be graphic, however, with our description. Let the reader then picture for himself or herself, females – young ladies of course – brought up under the tutorage of the competent governesses and agencies aforesaid. These young ladies dressing themselves in men’s clothes (when their parents are from home) and going through the country on the “rig” as it is called, and knocking and calling at people’s windows and doors. And worse than this, three of them to be seen in the company of a “halflin” indulging in “horse play”-to describe it mildly – in the least lady-like or modest fashion. What d’ye say to the uncouthness of the farm-servant, male or female, after that good Sir or Madam?
This farm was also noted for midnight brawlers; considerable attraction, to tell the plain truth, being caused by the females referred to; and the fact was well known that the mistress sat up watching her daughters till the small hours of the morning. This midnight brawling was not of course so common in the clear summer nights as in the dark winter evenings, because on summer nights, the brawlers were more likely to be seen and known. Toward the end of the month of August, when the dark nights begin to be of increased length, “mobs” of brawlers were to be seen lurking about the farm-houses, and when any one made their appearance who was not wanted, stones were at once showered on him. One servant, on returning quietly home one evening about nine o’clock, got one of his hands injured by a knock from a large stone which was thrown at him. The run of things was this – When the night becomes more advanced they begin to make some noise about the windows of the farmhouses, which brings forth the mistress, who is sometimes armed with a stick, and not uncommonly with a gig whip. Any noise heralding her approach is, of course, the signal for a temporary skeddadle. The brawlers, however, don’t always get off with flying colours. They often receive severe blows with her stick, or stripes round the ears with the whip. They are more successful when the lady comes on them accompanied by her daughters, ostensibly to aid her. The daughters seem to enjoy the presence of the brawlers, and often have a chat with them when out of the old lady’s sight. They are by no means in haste to send them away, and the mother does not secure the victory even with the aid of her stick or gig whip. The nocturnal disturbers in truth at times assail her, and her position is that of second best. On one occasion of the sort, she arose and sallied out in her night dress, and was captured by a strong muscular man, who dragged her a considerable distance on a dark, cold, wintry night,
CHAPTER II.
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My Early Service – A Rustic Love Chase.
I OUGHT perhaps to have said, though I didn’t – what can the reader expect of one whose hands were trained, not to the pen, but the plough stilts ? – that my first experiences of the farm servant’s life occurred during the earlier part of the decade of 1860-70. Of course, if I shall figure as an ignoramus, please keep in mind that it was not till August, 1872, that the School Board system, under which children are compelled by law to be educated, came in force. Prior to that time, to speak truly, if parents and guardians were of inadequate vigilance, the rustic youth had the privilege of being as ignorant as he chose. And of that privilege a good many more than might be supposed took full advantage. Of course things should be improved now. From 1872 till about 1876, farm servants’ wages rose too ; latterly, especially at last term, they have fallen.
Now we’ll go on with our machine. The rude March winds and the changeful face of April – storm and sunshine – had seen the seeds of the cereal crops laid in the ground at the “farm-toon” where the following incident took place. Day after day had passed till the 26th of May arrived, which made great changes among the servant men. They all left the place except one man, Geordie, and the kitchenmaid. In a day or so after the “twenti-sixt ” (as Whitsunday term is styled), the place was again supplied with the wonted number of new servant men. During the time of the “neep seed” the now hands made themselves.
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familiar with each other, and with the solitary man who had been at the place the previous six months
From this man, by due pumping, they also learned the state of things — social, domestic, and moral – about the place, together with what he knew of the history of the master and of previous servants he had had in his employment, and how he “gree ‘t” with them. One of the new men in particular made a special attachment to Geordie, and from Geordie he became acquainted with much of a history that was interesting as well as dear to him. And, in good troth, Geordie was well adapted to give him the needed history -that is the history of the kitchenmaid ; for she was a winsome lass, to whose attractions no young fellow could be quite indifferent.
This kitchenmaid was, in fact, a perfect rustic beauty. She was young and in her early prime, of middle stature, with cheeks like roses, coal dark hair, and dark rolling eyes. A veritable rustic beauty then, and one has known such that in every way would stand comparison with their socially more highly favoured sisters. She had, moreover, a “lad” that was dear and true to her. What the new man could learn of her and her lover was precious to him, for he had already become fond of her. But, alas ! for his fondness, it found little footing whereon to rest.
The new man, who became enamoured of the bonny kitchenmaid, was a somewhat muscular fellow-stout, short, and thick, also young, and in his prime ; face somewhat ruddy, with dark hair and eyes. But oh! what of the great swaying power of the organ of amativeness – what can hold it again when favourably received ? Fire and water will not do it. When not favourably met or slighted, how it affects all the other organs of the mind ! And in what strange fashion will the desperate or jealous feeling show itself! In the case of the man here referred to, and who takes a prominent place in the incident we are about to relate,
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we find it courting the favour of those of the same sex, and acting unkindly, even viciously, to the very object of its affection.
The term soon wore past, the ” neep seed ” was completed, as well as the hoeing of the turnips for the first time, and nature every day was adding fresh beauties to the decorations of the verdant landscape. One balmy Saturday night, about the time that the women milk the kye, the new man and Geordie began talking in a serious and confidential vein. The man, through disappointment, through unrequited affection from the kitchen-maid, courted Geordie’s friendship, who, rather meanly, it may be thought, had supplied him with an account of her and her lover, as far as he knew. The two-according to that form of easy abandon that can be appreciated by those who after a day of hard physical labour have enjoyed the same – were resting themselves in an empty stall in the stable among straw. The cow byre was in the same wing of houses as the stable, and was separated from the stable only by an open kind of wooden partition. When the kitchen-maid came to milk the cows, accordingly, her entrance to the byre was at once heard by the two.
“Geordie,” says the man, ” I think her lad’s comin’ the nicht !”
“I think he is,” said Geordie. “She’s terrible tippet up. It’s nae lang sin’ she was ower at the village, an’
she’s set a tryst wi’ him tae come the nicht likely – kennin’ that Jane wud be at the toon, an’ only the
auld wife at hame.”
“He’s comin’ !” exclaimed the man, confident of his point after what Geordie had told him. “We’ll
watch ‘im an’ gi’e ‘im a hunt !”
No sooner was the suggestion made than they both went and hid themselves in a hedge, near the place
where they expected the girl’s sweetheart would come to meet her. The time crept slowly away as they lay in ambush, till between ten and eleven o’clock ; and
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then the kitchen-maid came tripping down the bleach-green with angelic air, till she stood beside the old
mill-dam dyke (which enclosed the bleachgreen), and looked wistfully over it to see if her lover – James let us call him – was coming. But as yet he was not to be seen. She then stood quietly back under the
boughs of a tree, whose large verdant leaves darkened the ground around her. Here she stood for some time eagerly listening, and watching to see if he on whom her thoughts rested was coming. But as yet neither his welcome form nor footstep was to be descried in the growing twilight. She then returned to the house for a little, and on coming back she met her lover, who had just newly arrived. They greeted each other with that thrilling sense of endearment which none but true lovers know. But, alas ! how short was their enjoyment to be. They went quickly up the bleachgreen arm-in-arm for fear of being seen, but little dreamt they of the eyes that were watching them. They came to the ivy-covered wall, where was a door into the house, at which they entered gently and silently. But just as the fair maid, as a measure of precaution, slipped the bar on the door after they had entered, she was startled by a hideous yell-
“Deliver up !” to which followed a dead silence.
“Deliver up!” was again repeated with greater fierceness than before, and the door was struck with a
violent force.
“Oh, Jamie !” exclaimed the girl, ” You maun gae for—-”
But before she had the sentence completed there was another yell, “Deliver up!”- smash in went the
door, and the poor lassie’s lover was caught by the coat-tails and dragged forth by the two men.
The man, a little stunned by the violence with which he had been dragged out, soon regained his
senses, and, deeming the contest too unequal doubtless, made off with his utmost speed to be out of the reach
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of his antagonists. These followed him, however, with their utmost speed, but were somewhat losing ground, had it not been for the dog, who was roused by the breaking in of the door and general uproar, and rushed on the unfortunate fugitive, whom he assailed and hampered, retarding him in his speed. The infuriated dog made, in fact, a most desperate attack upon him, barking furiously and tearing his trouser legs and coat-tails. Once he threw the unfortunate fellow by seizing him fairly by a leg; and the man only
escaped from him by leaping a close paling, in which the dog in attempting to creep through entangled himself. The foremost pursuer leapt the paling close behind the flying lover, still closely chasing him, and the dog, who had got rid of the paling, again made up on him and kept closely at his heels, barking most furiously, and still biting and tearing as he could at his legs and coat tails. The chase was thus carried on for a considerable length of time, the lover, his pursuer, and the dog leaping palings and dykes, and making through corn and turnip fields. Geordie, who had been lying in ambush, had greatly lost ground, being somewhat eccentric in his movements, moreover ; and he waved his arms so as to look like one trying to fly rather than running.
The hunt was, however, carried on with the utmost determination till they came to a small village, when
smash through a wire paling went the lover. The paling, which was unseen to him in the darkness,
enclosed the school playground. His leading pursuer also got entangled among the wires, which might have disposed of him for the time, but, as bad luck would have it, the fugitive lover only got himself rid of the entangling wires on the one side to be more securely entangled by those on the opposite side of the playground. And while thus fixed and hampered, the dog made another fierce assault on him, barking most ferociously. Entangled and enraged by the biting of
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the dog the man uttered loud threats, not unmixed with curses, on the heads of his persecutors, while the
ludicrous scene was filled in by his pursuer, equally entangled across the green, exclaiming, partly in
triumph, yet also in anger, through a bad fall he had got from a wire holding his foot. Geordie, coming up
to the scene, seemed to enjoy it by his loud roars of laughter and uncouth exclamations. Ultimately the
lassie’s ill-used lover, getting rid of the dog and the entangling wires, ran down a small precipice, and
through a burn at the foot of it. His pursuer, who had again got himself entangled among the wires,
having got himself rid fell exhausted on the precipice. The flying man had not gone much further till he,
also exhausted, fell down in a field among corn, and vomited most profusely; facts which pretty well
show the determined nature of the pursuit.
The noise of the chase, with the barking of the dog at the unhallowed hour of midnight, aroused the
inhabitants of the quiet little village from their peaceful slumbers. Many of the in-dwellers were greatly affrighted. Next day being the Sabbath, there was much talk in the village about the noise and the
barking of a dog they heard in the night, and about the broken paling. The old wife at the farm-town too,
who had been roused by the breaking in of the door, searched all the house with a white candle in her hand for fear of any intruder. We are not certain whether or not the lover had sufficient cunning or courage to return after the chase to the object of his affection, and receive her kind sympathy that night.
But he never had his darling fair maid called after his name, neither had his pursuer.
It was about twelve years after this chase till the fair maid of my tale gave away her name, and took
that of another lover. The lover who was chased, in two years afterwards, went the way of all the earth. And well does the writer remember one Martinmas
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term when, as in company with others who were joyously leaving a place with a horrid sleeping apart-
ment, about which we are to say our say in next chapter, he saw the sexton digging turf to cover his
narrow home. Poor Jamie, Peace to his manes !
I shall only add here that, at the period when all I have yet told of rustic morality and love affairs came
to my knowledge – with much else too gross to be even named – I was an unsophisticated laddie of only ten to twelve years of age. Can you wonder that boys so placed, and with no oversight from parent or guardian, master or mistress, should grow up rough immoral fellows ? They don’t all do it ; and those who don’t are on an infinitely higher moral elevation, I take it, than your lascivious and loose-living gentleman farmer or city gent – no uncommon character, I ween – brought up under all the restraints of a socially-refined home training. I may tell my readers a little more plain truth on this point hereafter.
CHAPTER III.
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Sleeping Places – A Deplorable ” Chaumer” – Herd Boy Tricks.
IN last chapter I promised to say somewhat concerning a particular sleeping apartment of which I had ex-
perience – one of those deplorable “chaumers” about which every farm-servant knows more or less. Before going on to it, let me, by way of preface, utter a remark or two concerning each of two other sleeping apartments. These two apartments, according to the general stamp of farm-servant sleeping places, may be marked as good. Both were kept clean, and were neatly enclosed with carpenter work. They were both in lofts ; one above a cow byre, and the other above a stable. Both of them had but a very imperfect
allowance of the light of day, to be sure ; one of them had plenty of room in it, but the other was very
deficient in that respect, and a person had little enough room to pass from one end of it to the other ; and if caution were not used in walking one’s head was perpetually in danger by coming in contact with the
pent roof. Now let me observe, my worthy masters, that these, as things go, were really good and comfortable “chaumers “-such as the poor farm-servant only now and again has the chance to spend his nights and perform his Sunday toilet in. The lesson is obvious enough.
However, it is a common saying that farm-servants’ sleeping places are “nae sae gweed as an ordinar’ byre,” and unfortunately it is entirely true, as the following
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case will fairly enough illustrate./ A byre in the majority of cases allows free access to the light of day, but this sleeping place had no recognised source of light whatever, except some holes, where the wind, rain, and snow had equally free access. A byre is generally a good shelter from the raging elements, but in this case, in times of storm, wreaths of snow were to be found above the bed and bedclothes ; in a byre, cattle get dry bedding, but in this case it was only so if the elements had been dry for some time.
In these brief comparisons, the above saying is then truly verified. How sad! our philanthropist may exclaim – a farm-servant’s sleeping place not so good as a cattle byre! Nay, not only not so good ! but in a
measure tenfold worse! Man, the head of creation, the honest working man, the backbone of the British
community, sleeping in a place worse than a byre !
It is needless, however, to occupy space in reflecting on such a scene. But before quitting the topic, I must he allowed to describe the actual sufferings that those servants who slept in the place just mentioned underwent, and how their beds were often snowed up in a white snow wreath. And the reader can then reflect for himself or herself. It is a summer six months that we have under our notice, and by good fortune the summer was on the whole dry, except occasional thunder showers. In the month of November, however, all Britain was visited by a terrible storm. In the south it was rain, but in the north it was heavy snow, accompanied with hard frost and fierce drifting winds. It was then that those servants who slept in this deplorable “chaumer” had to bear the brunt of cold, wet, and snow – entailing discomfort and suffering so severe that none but those who have borne the like can tell of its severity. On the first night of the storm the servants took to their beds among the damp bedclothes, and doubtless thought they had ere morning suffered enough by the cold. But this was nothing to
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the nights that were to come. To awaken in the morning with a wreath of snow above the bedclothes might be called a small affliction ; their legs, at least, were not so benumbed but that they could lift them.
The next night before bedding (having smarted keenly by the cold the previous night), they took all the clothes from their chests, and all they had in their possession, and spread them above their bedclothes. Well, but it may be argued in behalf of farmers who maintain such lamentable human sheds, they at anyrate escaped being corpses in the morning ! Every pair of servants lay as close together as they could, and in the morning one of the beds was enveloped in a perfect wreath of snow, and it was a keen thirling cold. It had no appearance whatever of a bed. The two who lay in it were so benumbed with cold that, in the morning, when they arose they could scarcely stand. And right well may the question be asked, What would have been the consequence if they had not rifled their kists and spread their clothes above their bed? One of the servants suffered greatly from a severe cold till the term – the severest he ever had in his life. A complaint was made to the master about the state of the sleeping place, and he replied, “There mayna be sic anither nicht a’ the winter.”
The sleeping place received no repairs or alterations before the term, and whether it did after it or not we cannot tell. There were many such nights through the winter; indeed, so severe was the winter that a minister, not far from the place, preached for a time to his congregation in his kitchen, and treated them to a good substantial dinner after sermon, to enable them to make their way home. After this first storm the weather became more settled, and at the term some wreaths of snow lay at dyke sides ; but the flitting day was hailed by the servants as the most gladsome day in all the six months. Each made his way away from the place, delighted at being set free. All the servants who were engaged at
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the place were north country people, except one ; and at the term they got far scattered. Correspondence was to be kept up between the two who lay together in the bed snowed up. as above described. And one of the two, he who suffered severely from a bad cold, as mentioned, duly wrote the other, who was also suffering from ill health brought on by cold. But, alas, no answer came. He was afterwards informed, by a companion of his, that shortly after the term the poor fellow sank rapidly, and ere long had gone the way of all the earth ! Such are the plain unvarnished facts. Had the tale been told of some half-civilized region, it would have excited no little compassion and equal indignation. Because it happened in Aberdeenshire, it attracted no notice whatever.
At the same place with the dismal and disgraceful sleeping place above referred to, a boy employed about the farm was sometimes left in charge of a flock of sheep in the shepherd’s absence, and of him I have now something to say in passing. The boy never had a dog to help him in his shepherding, and the pasture being scarce, they often got beyond his control. When they did so, the boy, driven to his wit’s end by the perversity of his charge, had no help but fall back on his native “ingyne ” to help him in his difficulty ; and this is one of the advantages of comparatively solitary rural life. It gives scope to call forth the natural resources of the individual, more than life in a crowd with help or counsel always at hand does. So the boy had a homely stratagem to which he resorted, and by it he managed to bring the erring sheep into subjection. The stratagem in question was rather amusing as well as ingenious. One day in November, the shepherd being from home, he was left to herd a large flock of sheep, and as usual without dogs to help him, as they would not stop behind their master, the shepherd. The fields on which he had to herd were very bare, and they were not at all easy to keep right. For a while
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in the forenoon the boy managed to terrify them by roaring at them in tones as like the shepherd’s as he could frame, but the sheep soon discovered that he had no dog, and that his roaring was a mere harmless bug-bear meant to terrify them. By afternoon he had lost all control of them. He then took to the top of one of the fields which was “brae-set,” and the wind blowing a pretty strong breeze down the face of it. He threw off his ” braid bonnet” on the ground, but well into the wind, and it was rapidly carried down the field on its edge, presenting not a little of the aspect of a living sentient being, moved through its own volition. The sheep, who evidently believed the bonnet to be a new form of dog, or other shepherd’s assistant, took fright at it, and ran together, while the boy bawled out at the utmost pitch of his voice, “Saroh ! Saroh !” “Tyoh !” like the shepherd. They were brought within control for the time accordingly ; and always when the sheep went out of their bounds, he set off his bonnet and bawled as if it were a dog, which soon brought them together again.
Upon this boy a trick was practised, and the lad rewarded the performer after the manner known as hoisting the engineer with his own petard. The boy’s watch having got out of order, he went to the watch- maker to have it repaired ; and having a good length of a road to go, it was somewhat late before he could get back. The sleeping place was entered by a stair from the cart shed, and on the top of the stair there were two folding doors, which the ascender had to push up with his head before he could enter. One of the men, who was much given to fun and tricks, contrived how he might indulge his propensity at the expense of the boy, when he came home. On one of the folding doors he placed a large stone so that the boy would not be able to lift it, and along with that a dish full of water, and then fastened a string to it and the other folding door, so that when the boy entered he would
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upset the dish of water about himself. When the boy arrived he ascended the stair as usual, but found that he could not raise both the doors at one time, as he used to do. He then tried one of the doors, which he succeeded in moving. Just as he was raising it he heard a noise of something trailing on the floor, but he thought little about it, till a gush of water came pouring down on his head. He soon descended the stair, and after a little consideration, he took a hay fork and raised the door, till he was sure there was no more to pour on him. He then made for his bed, and just as he was setting his foot on the loft floor, he heard a sneer of a laugh, which enabled him to know who had performed the trick.
Next day everyone seemed to be ignorant of what had happened, and the boy did not mention anything
about it, but quietly nursed his revenge. And an opportunity speedily came for putting his design in exe-
cution. All the men were bedded, except the man who had performed the trick and the boy. The man before he could get to bed had some work to do outside, and when he was away at this work the boy prepared his scheme. He filled not a small dish but a pail with water-not clean water, but water that was purposely made very filthy – and then placed it as the dish had been placed for him. The man when through with his work made hastily for his bed. The night being cold he ran up the stair, and, suddenly pushing up the door, he at once upset the pail and had its whole filthy contents about his head in an instant, amid unavailing exclamations and imprecations of no ordinary stamp.
Of course he was well paid for his indulgence in that sort of practical joking, which is thought extremely
clever among a certain class.
CHAPTER IV.
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The Bothy, the Bothy Sleeping Place, and Bothy Life Morality-Bothy Scenes-the Gamekeepers Reward.
The institution known as the farm bothy is not to be described as on the whole unpopular with farm-servants by any means ; nor, as compared with the common run of farm kitchens, is there any good reason that it should be so. It may be an unnatural kind of domestic life that it affords ; but in the case of a set of young fellows there is the sense of greater freedom, and even the better disposed regard it somewhat favourably as freeing them of the unpleasant wrangling about insufficient or ill-cooked food that goes on in many kitchens. However, to proceed. The bothy which comes under our notice may be termed an ordinarily good one, when compared with others, but as to the real goodness of it the reader may judge for himself from the description given. The bothy is an old, dirty-looking thatched house, joined on to the end of a cow byre, and from its gable an old diminutive- looking chimney projects itself, which serves to carry off the smoke, The bothy is entered by a ricketty weather-worn door, and scarcely one yard from said door there is a large dung-hill, a pig stye, and a poultry house. And about three yards from the back of it there is another dung-hill. On entering the bothy one has at once exhibited to his view an empty, dark, filthy, sooty place ; and an odour meets the unaccustomed nose that is nowise pleasant. Beside the door, inside, there is generally a heap of sticks and rubbish,
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and along the back of the house stands a long chest looking structure called the “meal bunks”. It does not consist of one chest only, but a number of them joined together. At the end of the house is the fire-place, about which there is generally a large heap of ashes – at times mire than two barrow-fulls. In the front side of the house is a window, below which there is an old table; and at the end of it is a press fastened to the wall for holding the milk pails. The bothy is very often in a terrible state of filth. Along the floor there lie strewn pieces of sticks, potato skins, ashes, and other miscellaneous debris. It does occasionally get a clean out, however, the same as a byre does by means of a graip, scraper, and barrow, only not so regularly or frequently. The roof is coated all over with soot, which hangs in tangles, the character and ponderosity of which the reader may form some idea of when we mention that on one occasion a shot was fired at the door, and the vibrations it caused in the air brought such a shower of soot from the roof that it coated a newspaper that was lying on the table with soot so that one could not see the print. Such was the place where the men cooked and ate their meals, and where any leisure-time might be spent indoors.
The sleeping place at this farm was attached to the end of the bothy, and joined to the cow byre. Between it and the cow byre there was a wooden partition, which was made of “backs”. The partition was anything but closely made. Close beside it stood some very heavy fat cows, and when they were lying at rest they were won’t now and again to breathe heavily, which sent gusts of stinking breath into the sleeping place, so that the men were often forced to cover their heads with the blankets, to prevent them getting squeamish from the vilely vitiated air caused by the obnoxious odour of the cows’ breath. The beds were below the lovely of the “greep” in the cow byre, and into the under part of one of them there actually issued
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therefrom a considerable quantity of liquid matter of anything but pleasant savour. The bothy and sleeping place being old, The thatch upon the roof did not keep out the wet. Often after it had become fair outside, large drops from the roof continued falling inside in the form of a shower.
In the spring time there was a shepherd at the farm, in charge of some sheep that were eating off the turnips. During the time the shepherd stayed at the farm, he slept in this sleeping place on the end of the bothy. Having entered within its door he stood up in amazement, and on hearing the raindrops pelting all around on the floor and beds he exclaimed, “ I thocht I hed gane oot instead o’ comin ben !” Rats were very numerous in both the sleeping place and bothy. During the night they were somewhat annoying- rummaging over the servants’ faces, and occasionally pulling their hair when asleep in bed. This sleeping place; as we need hardly again remark, was a very bad one; yet the servants were better in it than in the one referred to in the last chapter, because the heat from the bothy tended to keep it dry and warm. A good fire was always kept going in the bothy during the evenings when the men were in it-so great indeed was the fire that the flame was often blazing out at the chimney top. And it was almost a wonder how the farm-town was never set on fire by the flames and sparks, most of the office-houses being thatched. It was a wonder, as I say, and a wonder which did not escape the bothiers’ reflection. The philosophic observation usually made on the subject, however, was to the effect that if it were taking fire, they would make every haste to have their trunks on the green !
To give the reader some idea of the illumination caused by the bothy chimney top, we may mention the following incident. On one occasion one of the bothiers, being from home on a visit to his parents, returned by an evening train. The night was very dark, and he
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was not well acquainted with the way from the station to the farm. But in the distance he saw the appearance of flames, and having quickly divined that the gleam was rising from the bothy chimney top, he made his way as direct to it as he could, and, guided by the glare of the flame, reached home easily. The heat raised by the evening fires was intense at times ; and all one can say is that it was needed to counteract the damp resulting from rain coming through the roof and the like.
So far of the rough and untoward state of the bothy. What of the life of the inmates ? In the bothy system an allowance of so much meal and milk per week is meted out to each bothier ; with a “caup” and a spoon to make the brose, and some salt to season the mess. The regular bothy diet is oatmeal brose twenty-one times a-week, which the servants make for themselves; however, to obtain a substitute instead of brose occasionally, various plans are tried. common saying among bothiers that they have a right to steal anything that will do for a diet within a radius of three miles from the bothy. And this saying is not held as a mere saying, but is very often brought into use. The regular bothier, in his midnight rambles about neighbouring “towns,” if he meets with a nest of eggs, takes its contents along with him without scruple, and when he calls on the servant girl he begs of her a bit of bread. If refused, the consequence not seldom is abusive or filthy language. This conduct may be described as mild and orderly when compared with some of their other doings. Though not applicable to the set of bothiers directly under our notice, it is not an uncommon thing for one to make a profession of courting some neighbouring servant girl (one does not suffice ; sometimes a score of different ones are visited in six months), and when the man enters the kitchen he takes another bothier with him, unknown to the young woman, and while professing court-
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ship to her, the other quietly ransacks the house as far as he can, carrying off as plunder cakes, butter, cheese or such edibles as he can lay his hands on. And, in addition, the poultry are often fated to form part of their plunder. They are taken, killed, and roasted in the bothy fire; and hares and rabbits meet with the same fate. The poultry house on the farm is sometimes ransacked for eggs in this wise : One man carries in his neighbour on his back and the one who is carried lifts the eggs and is carried out with them; their logic for this being, if they be taken to the law each can swear that they did not go into the poultry house and take out the eggs!
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every fireside among farmservants. I have heard many precise narrations given of the shockingly profane practices indulged in ; but need not go on to repeat them at second hand, having witnessed enough personally of what was rude and revolting. To hear the talk and see the scenes, that are to be heard and seen in the bothy, one is at once put in mind of the old rhyme :-
” Some sang like drunkards at their cup,
And some like cut-throats swore ;
Some challenged Satan to come up,
But he was there before,”
In the social talk, so to speak, in many bothies there is an oath at almost every word, and the language used is terribly libidinous. The stories told are often narrations of some case of triumphant stealing, or adventure among the “lasses.”
The bothiers when sitting around the fire present A somewhat peculiar appearance, they being not un-
frequently begrimed more or less with soot and dust. Their seats are an old piece of a “form,” and perhaps a block or two of wood. In the bothy of which I chiefly speak one of the seats was called the
“throne.” It was a seat cut out of a large log of wood, with a back at it. When any of the bothiers’ comrades paid them a visit they were seated on this seat ; and were told is was the seat set apart for the greatest liar or story-teller. It sat pretty near the fire, and being heavy it was not easily moved: when a stranger was seated in it an extra fire was put on to give him a right good heat, sometimes not a little to his discomfort; and we may add that many huge lies and incredible stories were told off the “throne.”
In the bothy every one had a nickname. Going among the “lasses” was a very common thing, and when they returned in the morning an account of the night’s proceedings had to be given, and it was roughly written on a card and placed in the window, so that every one who passed might know the deeds that
were
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done during the night. Adventures among the “lasses” was a common game. The confession of one was that he had visited or courted twenty-one different lasses during the six months. One night two of the bothiers were in a house among the lasses, and another band of men had watched them entering. When they were in the watchers raised a great noise, and aroused the master, who got greatly infuriated, and, taking his gun, went outside to the terror of his disturbers. The two who had entered the house had to make their escape, head foremost, by a window eight feet from the ground! Two of the bothiers were great midnight brawlers, and one farmer was so annoyed with them that he wrote a letter to the owner of the bothy to keep them at home. The owner of the bothy made excellent fun of the letter, and it gave great amusement to the bothiers, who often cursed at each other till the firing brander hanging from the roof actually rang.
In the bothy the Sabbath is often greatly profaned, as the following incident may well illustrate. One of
the shepherd’s sheep became ill on a Sunday, and he had to kill it. He went to the bothy and asked help
to have it hung up, saying “I suppose you will be a’ so strict Sabbath keepers that you will not help me to hing up a sheep on Sunday.” One of the number, pointing to a fellow who was sitting in a corner, with his face all soot, and his hair to all appearance had not had a comb among it for at least a week, said “Try the man wi’ the lead.” He was busily engaged melting lead and making bullets !
“The gamekeepers’ reward ” is a deed very characteristic of the bothy life. The bothiers were all going out
one dark night to hunt, and the gamekeepers were on the watch for them, and hid themselves in the mouth of the peat shed at the farm, so as they might be able to follow the bothiers and overtake them. Their hiding themselves was not unobserved however by
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one of the bothiers, who said to his fellows ” There’s some chiels hidin’ in the peat shed.”
After reflection another exclaimed, ” It ‘ll be the gamies, I wager !”
“It’s jist them !” said the foreman, swearing hideously at the keeper tribe. ” We’ll reward them for their tribble.”
After some consultation together, the whole of the bothiers went and filled their arms with large stones.
A shout was then raised-“A rat !” “a rat !” and they all rushed out of the bothy, swearing and crying,
“Kill ‘im !” ” kill ‘im !”
“He ‘s in tae the peat-shed,” roared one, which wras followed by a volley of oaths, and a cry, ” Haud
in the stanes on ‘im !” “Haud in the stanes on ‘im !”
The stones went showering in with great violence, while the bothiers gave vent to volleys of fierce oaths,
enough to make the atmosphere smell sulphurous, mingled with terrible yells. The gamekeepers forth-
with shouted out to hold on, and entreated for mercy. But they were not listened to, the bothiers keeping up a deafening din till they saw fit to desist.
“He’s lost!” cried one of them; and they all suddenly retreated, leaving the gamekeepers to enjoy their reward. The keepers were dreadfully cut and bruised with the stones, and some of their number they had to carry home. Next day the lad dressed in blue cloth with clear buttons visited the bothy, but found no footing to make a case of the ” gamekeepers’ reward.”
CHAPTER V
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The Influence of Bothies in a Locality – Farm-service at a Public-house, and Farm-servants at the ” Skweel o’ Misery.”
IN our last chapter we described the bothy system and bothy life, which, to say the least of it, is uncouth and unhallowed. Good reader, how would you look on the bothy life and system ? Not alone as a training centre of human beings, in which they are trained to do deeds of mischief, shame, and degradation ; but even from the point of view, say, of having to spend the part of your life devoted to eating, sleeping, and general leisure in one of these places? No superabundance of physical comfort to be sure ; but what of the moral surroundings ? Could a spare hut in one of Cetywayo’s kraals be in any respect much worse? We trow not. To the young lad placed therein the bothy is adapted simply to be a training school for deeds of mischief and shame, and words of vulgar obscenity. Do not imagine that the bothy in which I gathered the notes that composed last chapter is a bothy of the very worst stamp, bad as it was. I could furnish another chapter on a bothy, with deeds of mischief, shame, and degradation perpetrated by its inmates, to which the one already described “could not hold the candle.” But not having been an actual eye-witness, let the facts already given suffice.
A very practical question, however, is – What of the actual results of such bothy training? Take an
actual occupant of the bothy described in last chapter – a man in advanced years, with bald crown – I have
heard that man gravely instructing the young lads how to make an instrument to do mischief known as the
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“Smoke Jinny.” It is made of an ox’s horn with a hole opened through the small end. The horn is filled
with ” pob,” cotton, hair, &c., which is kindled at the wider end, and enclosed by a tube through which a
current of air is passed, causing the smoke to issue from the small end. When this instrument is in use, the small end of the horn may be inserted in the keyhole of a door. .And any one can judge of the odour of the smoke, and of the effects of a house being filled with it in the midnight hours, when all are a-bed. When a house has been thus filled with smoke, a back chain is then drawn through and through the handle of the door, which, on many. doors, makes a noise very little short of thunder. Then the inmates being sufficiently alarmed, a rapid skeddadle is made. This elderly man, after instructing his young disciples how to use the ” Smoke Jinny,” would add, ” Ye maun be cautious in usin’ ‘t. I ance fill’t an auld mannie’s hoose wi’ ‘t, and syne trail’t the backchyne throw the han’le o’ ‘s door, and was catch’t an’ fined twenty-five shillins.” So you see the old reprobate had imbibed no idea whatever of the legal or moral depravity of the act. In fact, as a rule, a mischievous deed is spoken of as a brilliant accomplishment, and in such strains as to raise the love of approbation and self-esteem in the minds of the young lads. So the very elements of mind that should be called into play to stimulate to moral and intellectual excellence are excited potentially in the very opposite direction, and the lad is made to feel that he is made something like a hero by indulging in contemptible and often disgusting wrong-doing. The bothy is thus a centre from which deeds of mischief and midnight brawling issue. But let us give a sample of it.
A November term had come and brought many changes, as does every term, among farm-servants ; and
the person we have to speak of had come a good distance to be a farm-servant in a locality where there were
In this chapter I have also to tell of a period of farm service at a public-house-more aptly styled “The
the public-house to treat each other. After a round or so of the fiery liquor to which they treat themselves, its poisonous nature begins to tell on them. ” Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging,” says the wisest
of kings; and truly the liquid which farm-servants swallow is absolutely potential in stirring up the passions, including fierce, hot-headed wrath, and vapouring boastfulness. They first begin to talk with
greater loudness than usual; bragging of the most outrageous sort at times follows. They are transformed into men capable of accomplishing great feats; of working horses with natures ever so infuriated or
vicious ; able to withstand every master, however notoriously wicked, and likewise as successful in going
and gaining the favour of the lasses, as well as boasting of the many with whom they have cohabited. The
idea of such boasting seems harsh and uncouth in the last degree, but it is the case ; and although I have
called it boasting much of it is a reality, as is but too painfully demonstrated, alas! by the many young
females who are to be seen nursing their illegitimate children. And there, in the alehouse, we hear the
heartless villain boasting of his shame and mischief, while his unfortunate female partner may be sitting at
But as we listen to the talk of the company met in the public-house, what else do we hear but talk of the
sort indicated ? Nothing ?- Yes, oh yes-singing begins, and various, as well as curious, airs strike on the ears of the giddy men. On entering the drinking room the reader can fancy such as the following striking on his ear :-
Rivin’ sticks to roast a duke,
Bonnie laddie, Highland laddie,
Charlie he ‘ll be here himsel’-
My bonnie Highland laddie.
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Increases. The bells, to summon the waiter, got an extra pull to make them ring properly, and they are rung so often that their noise seems to be one continuous tolling, though somewhat irregular. The sound of the fiddle and bagpipes gets louder and louder, and roaring – intended for singing- increases. The heavy pattering of the staggering dancers’ feet becomes so mingled, that the house is wholly filled with sound. When any of the room doors are opened for the lassie to enter with drink, the noise bursts forth in full, and the boasting sound of the drunkard is to be heard above all.
Such sounds and scenes as the above, although the production of a pack of foolish fellows, are music in the innkeeper’s ears, for we have heard him rejoicingly say, “These lads are papering my room walls.” When eleven o’clock comes the drunkards must make their exodus, which they are often loathe to do. The inn-keeper, however, is compelled by law to clear his house, and shut his door at that hour. Nevertheless, he has difficulty in enforcing the regulation, and often requires the assistance of the strong arm of law in the form of a policeman. When the servants are sent out to the darkness, some of them are nowise in a fit condition for travelling. They stagger and tumble, and knock their heads against dykes and palings, or whatever may be in their way, and the wisdom of such work is, we believe, unknown to any, except it be to strike ” starn licht” from their eyes, to show them their way.
CHAPTER VI
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The Goodwife – A Farm Mistress of the ” Cantankerous” Class-The Servants’ Food-Mistress and Maid.
IN former chapters we have been saying our say about sleeping places, farm servants and their adventures, and so on. In justice to our tale we must take notice of some of the farmers’ wives, as well as of farmers themselves, in due turn. What shall we say, then, of her who is mistress of the farm, as exemplified in certain cases coming within the range of our experience ? Are farm-servants, male and female, to be characterised as owning a monopoly of folly and the like? Nay, verily. But let us come from the general to the concrete.
The farm mistress-” goodwife ” is too homely and old-fashioned a term, perhaps-the farm mistress we
have presently in view occupied a good position comparatively, as may be judged by the fact that two
servant women were required to do the work-that is, when she could get them to stop, which, in honest
truth, seldom happened, inasmuch as one of the two was sure to be in favour, and the other as sure to be
the very reverse. And her endeavours to ” pick ” the favourite about the other were so fertile a source of hot strife, that ordinarily she could only a kind of manage to live in peace with one. Her disposition was curious in the extreme, and we may allude to two of her queer exploits-or rather, fits of anger.
The mistress was of middle stature, thick, fat, and heavy, with a reddish and full face-” like her meat,”
as the saying is. She was possessed of a mind in which
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self-esteem greatly predominated, and her control over her temper will be judged of by the following incident. Being on one occasion walking about the byres (which she frequently did) she accidentally put her foot on the edge of a white-iron dish out of which the dog was fed. The dish naturally tilted up, striking her rather a smart blow on the shin, upon which she snapt it up, and by way of revenge wrenched off the handle. On looking round, however, she saw that the cattleman was near, and cynically looking on at what must have been to him a very edifying display of impotent anger. But the thing was done, and of course she had no help but depart in all the haste she could.
On another occasion she came into the kitchen one evening. The kitchen-maid chanced to have a pail of
filthy water on the floor, which she was using. The istress was not a neat walker, and as she was moving
through the kitchen she struck herself against the servant’s pail, and in her irritation at the pail she
struck at it with her foot and upset it. Here again, there were some ” servan’-men” who watched her
taking out her revenge on the household implement. On this occasion she took hastily to her room, and
several weeks elapsed before she was again seen in the kitchen.
But, good reader, what can you think of these two samples of a farm mistress ? Will not the ordinary
farm-maid, when their respective advantages are taken into account, well enough bear comparison with her? Let alone setting an example, which every mistress ought to be able to do, how could a woman in that position, who was totally unable to control her temper so as to refrain from almost childish outbursts, and delighted in nothing more than pumping low and ill-natured gossip out of her servants, gain or maintain the respect her station should have commanded ? Yet she was not a solitary example.
At another place, following in something like the
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chronological order of my services, we have another mistress practically of the same class. In this case a
new race of servant women was needed at every six months’ end, as well as often many changes during the six months. Every term also brought a complete race of new men to the farm, simply on account of the very harsh unsavoury food with which they were fed. But let us tell our simple unvarnished tale as the best way of setting forth the facts.
That servants are sometimes blameworthy and cause unwarranted disturbance we are not concerned to deny. But likewise are the mistresses, as well as masters too. Let the reader then judge for himself. In the case before us the mistress was in the habit of holding a sort of judicial or inquisitorial convocation with her women servants, and which was nicknamed “the court-martial.” She always weighed and did up the butter herself. On one occasion the churning was over and the butter washed. With a keen eye to her purse, after scanning the lump of butter, the mistress goes for the weighing balance to make sure of the amount of her produce. But the balance was nowhere to be found. Now the mistress was the only individual who ever had anything to do with the balance, and she always laid it carefully past for herself. But now it was amissing ! She asked the women about it, but they could tell her nothing. Her anger was kindled forthwith ! The butter was to weigh ! and the balance not to be got! The whole house was searched, but without result. The balance could not be found ! Who could she blame for losing
it, when it was in her own keeping? Without any evidence, or ground of evidence, she acquitted herself,
and unhesitatingly laid the charge of the balance being lost on the servant women. A court-martial was
accordingly called in the parlour. The infuriated old lady sat as judge, while the old farmer and his son were called in to her assistance as assessors, and sat with solemn gravity to witness and corroborate all her asseverations.
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One of the servant women was first summoned to their presence by the tinkle of the bell.
On entering the room she had at once the question put to her, “What hae ye deen wi’ my balance for
weighing the butter ?”
“Deen wi’ your balance ! Fat cud I hae deen wi’ your balance ?”
“Deen wi’ the balance !” cried the mistress, stamping her foot on the floor, ” You have steel’t it, or than
hidden it !”
” I have not steel’t nor hidden your balance,” said the servant woman, a good deal irritated.
“You hiv,” said the mistress, confirming what she said with another heavy stamp of her foot.
” I have not,” said the servant woman firmly.
” You or the other woman maun hae teen it,” said the mistress, a little more come to herself, when thus
closely met.
The servant woman again said, ” I know nothing about it, and I did not -,” but before she got the sentence completed she was ordered out, and the bell was then pulled by the mistress with a violent force,
summoning the other servant woman to her presence.
It was the kitchen-maid who was last called in, and she entered the room in a terror-stricken mood, for she had overheard the uproar of the infuriated mistress. The like interrogations and blame were put to her, as had been put to the table-maid, who was first called in, but she was alike ignorant of the missing balance. After this the table-maid was again summoned back, and in presence of both servant women sentence was delivered to the effect-That if they did not find the balance within so many days, they would either have to replace it or leave the town without any wages. Comment on this utterly unreasonable deliverance were needless. But what shall we say of the old virago who gave it, with the couple of coofs – father and son – sitting helplessly by, who sanctioned it? Let the unbiased
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reader say. Yet these are people who deem themselves every way far superior to the uncouth farm-servant.
But how did the balance really go amissing? The truth of the matter is that one of the servant men took
it away to weigh some stuff, and forgot to return it. So that in actual fact the servant women knew nothing of it. When the evening came the servant women told the men of the missing balance, and what the mistress had said as the results of their not finding it. The man who took away the balance told the women not to replace it, and if they got their leave just to take it, and he would pay them their wages. He further took the balance, and himself put it in a place where one day thereafter the mistress found it. Whether she felt rebuked at her own outrageous behaviour in the matter we cannot say.
It may not be out of place to state now in a general may how this same mistress fed her servants – it is only right to say that her practice in this respect had made her name a bye-word. Kail was the chief food which she gave to the servant men, and to have a sufficient quantity of greens available, a large breadth was grown,as the following incident may illustrate. At a November term, which happened on a Sunday, a servant was on his way to a new place early on a Monday morning, and during the day rain fell very heavily, which made the day the very worst for flitting. He took a distant flit, and had a long way by train, as well as a long way to go on foot. After he came off the train he did not know the way he should go, and after sundry inquiries received some instructions from a shepherd, who wound up by saying-“Oh ! you ‘ll easy ken the toon when ye com’ on ‘t; it has a great big kail yard.” The man went away on the road which the shepherd had shown him, and found the ” toon wi’ the great big kail yard,” which was to be the “toon” of his winter quarters. We may add that there were abundance of rats at the place, as well on an abundance of kail for when he lay
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down on his new bed for the first time, he laid his head on a large rat which had crept in between the pillow and pillowcase . There were no other men in the “chaumer” with him – a six months was long enough about the place for anyone – and the toon had been clean’t. He was the first of the new men who had come home. He rose and took his staff to kill the intruder, but he escaped with his life.
Then as to the diets at this place, they were of the meanest kind, consisting of kail and brose, and some potatoes, which formed the common diets, and it was a rare thing if there was any substitute. On no occasion was beef one ; water porridge, however, was one, given on Sunday morning. Man is an omniverous being, and can’t be blamed for having a desire for a change of food. Kail and potatoes are good enough diets if properly cooked, though continual repetition makes them a little sour. But in this ease we must relate how they were cooked. The kail was simply boiled in salt and water, and nothing more ; the kail brose was made with the black water in which the kail was boiled, and the mess was composed of nothing but black water, salt, and meal. The brose when in the dish was of a very black colour hard, and in balls, and the milk greatly adulterated with water. How agreeable such a diet was to the palate the reader my judge.
This chapter will furnish a sample of the treatment to which farm-servants are subject by a certain class of farm mistress, and of whom I may tell more afterwards.
CHAPTER VII
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Diffculties attending Self-Improvement among Farm-Servants – A Vicious Youth-Ends in “Sodgerin’ ” – Off among the “Lasses,” and a conclusion in the Sherriff Court
As a class farm-servants, notwithstanding they have been so much abused, will compare favourably with
most classes of ordinary tradesmen. Amongst them are many well-meaning, well-behaved men. Their
opportunities of self-culture are often of the very worst. The “chaumer,” where most of their leisure
time is spent, where they sleep and perform their Sunday toilet, is frequently without fire, light, table,
or chair. Also, when in the kitchen in the winter evenings, they are often seated round a fire so enclosed
by pots that they can’t enjoy its cheering heat to dry their clothes after a day’s exposure to rain, drift, or
snow, as the case may be. The kitchen is also so dimly lighted by the lamp that one has difficulty in seeing to read were they to try it.
Moreover, some of the ill-meaning among farm-servants are often a great hindrance and annoyance to
those who may be disposed to self-improvement. We have seen an attempt made to improve in writing by trying it with a copy book on the “kist lid” – the only likely thing in the form of a writing-desk that the
farm-servant could have, the writer kneeling by the side of it. We have seen the self-improver need to
hold the ink bottle to prevent it from being dandled Off the kist lid – so great was the annoyance intentionally
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caused by his senseless, ill-disposed companions leaping on the loft floor, and the like,
Following in chronological order of my services, we have at this point brought under our notice at one
place the case of a farm-servant much given to self-improvement, and about whom we may say a few words, from which the reader may judge of the difficulties attending self-culture with the farm-servant.
At a May term there were several new men brought home to the place where we find the servant in question, and we may add that he was also one of the new men. The “chaumer” at the place was a pretty good one, and was well lighted, which was advantageous for those who inclined reading and self-culture. The sheets and chaff bed, however, were made of old manure bags, and the blankets were somewhat ragged! The new men had got their trunks brought home from the station to their new place, and each had adjusted his trunk to its own place in the “chaumer.” They next began to open them, and take from them what they were in daily need of. The studious servant (for such we may call him), on opening his chest had all eyes turned towards him in wonder to see the many books he had in it. None of the men knew anything about the lad previously, and many were the conjectures they had among themselves respecting him. At last they came to the conclusion that he was an old Collegian, and then they took him to be a John Simpleton. The hoeing of the turnips for the first time came, and all the servants were of course working together. They now thought this was a suitable time to have some sport with their supposed John Simpleton, and accordingly set to work by putting insulting questions. The studious servant,
or John Simpleton as they would have him to be, was, however, “wise as a serpent” among them, and also harmless, and they little knew of what kind of metal he was they were tampering with. The lad was perfectly calm in hearing their sneering interrogatories and
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remarks, and took no notice of those parts that were filthy and obscene. He kept in the best of humour – do what they would, and his conversation with them was so shaped as to mercilessly expose their ignorance and folly, at which they got angry, and went the length of laying hands on him. One of the set was so intensely roused to wrath that he gnashed his teeth, and uttered impotent oaths, which, however, served him little in the battle of logic, a weapon of which he could make but feeble use. This same fellow tried to irritate our friend when he was applying himself to reading or study, by making as much noise as he could, yelling, cursing, and uttering obscene language, all which was allowed to pass unheeded by the person he would so fain have interrupted and irritated.
It is hardly necessary to remark on the state of mind of the person who could attempt this sort of poor
and despicable revenge. But we may refer briefly to the man’s career in the way of illustration. He was a
young beardless fellow, not out of his “teens” by at least a couple of years. In place of books he went
among the “crack lasses,” and by-and-by he got the startling information that he was about to become a
father, which, sure enough, put “a bee in his bonnet.”
Let us note him reaping the whirlwind, the fruit of his own doings. During harvest, at the farm where
he was engaged, were several women engaged as harvest hands, with whom his intercourse was not of the choicest. One Sunday evening he had entered their sleeping place, and crept into bed amongst them. But before he well knew of his whereabouts he was pounced upon by the master and mistress, and severely rebuked. And before the two, with light in hand, he had to make his humble exodus from the place, with orders to appear before his master next morning. Greatly crestfallen, he paced across the courtyard to his own sleeping place, entering the “chaumer” in a more solemn mood than he was wont to be. In fact, it was observed by his
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fellow-servants that “surely something’s befa’en’ ‘im.” Curious or incredible as it may look, on being interrogated, he told the whole story, with a pitiable air, of being turned out of the women’s bed, &c, Some of the servants were newly bedded, and others were about bedding, but all pitied him, and professedly felt much for him. Relating the whole, and sitting for sometime on his chest lid, he began to undress himself, and then went to bed, thinking it was to be the last night he would sleep in that ” chaumer ” and bed. The studious servant was his bed companion, and as he lay down he said to him, “I wish I had been you.” When Monday morning came, he went and appeared before his master, expecting to get his leave from the place; but the master, after giving him a sound advice, told him to go to his work. Long time, however, had not passed till he again got himself into trouble. The harvest was finished, and he term fast approaching, yet this time it ended in his dismissal, and without any wages; albeit he had done nearly a half-year’s work. It was on a Saturday afternoon that he got his leave. Before he went he shook hands with the studious fellow servant he had so persistently endeavoured to annoy, and bade him “good-bye.” He wandered about through Saturday night, over Sunday and Sunday night, and then made his way to the barracks, where he “took the shillin’.” On a Sunday some time after he revisited the “farm toon,” dressed in a recruit’s white jacket, and giving audible indication of his rapid progress in the practice of swearing horrible oaths. He soon, it was understood, became tired of a military life, but “tire’s nae term day wi’ the sodgers ;” and so he had to make up his mind to his condition.
Another young man who was wont to go off among the ” lasses ” came to grief in this wise. It was in the
cheering spring time, and he had suppered his horses after a hard day’s work, and partaken of his own
evening meal when he resorted to a shop at a little
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distance and met some comrades. At the shop they spent some time in leisure and jolly crack, till it was
after ten o’clock, and then they made their way for home. On their way it was proposed that they should
call on such and such a farmer’s servant woman, who was not far off their way, and our plough-boy was the one appointed to call on her. He called accordingly on the “lassie,” and was enjoying a ” chat” with her, when, like a madman, the farmer rushed on the unfortunate chiel, and at once threatened him with the policeman, attempting to lay hands on him. Probably the farmer’s excess of ire was accounted for by the fact that the other men (who, by the way, were unknown to our friend, though he had been in their
company), had given him a deal of annoyance by calling on his servant. Our ploughboy, being of a
cross stubborn disposition, resolved to defend himself. He seized a large stone in his hand, and threatened the farmer if he came another inch nearer him he would divide his head with it. At this the farmer withdrew himself within doors, amid a volley of abuse freely sent after him, the noise being loud enough to disturb the whole inmates of the house.
We need not go farther into details than to say that, early next morning the farmer rode in haste to
the police station and lodged a complaint, but against whom he could not tell ! The police during the day,
however, visited the farm, and questioned the woman as to who was calling on her. But she could not tell, for she did not really know who he was. Those who had been in the habit of calling, as already mentioned, and giving annoyance before were known, however, and the policeman called on them, who coolly put the whole blame on the “gype” they had been pleased to send to visit the lass ; and in due time he was cited, and had to appear before the Sheriff. At the Court, our ploughboy is duly called by name, and takes his stand before the Sheriff, with a policeman seated on each side of
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him. An indictment is read, in which he is charged with having used threatening and abusive language to
the terror and alarm of the inmates at a farm-town at midnight ; also with having threatened to divide the
farmer’s head with a big stone. The Sheriff, after the indictment had been read, asked the ploughboy, ” Have you got any excuse to make ?”
” No,” was the only reply of the poor blockhead.
“Then,” said the Sheriff, “to meet the ends of justice, you will have to pay a fine of forty shillings, with expenses, or suffer fourteen days’ imprisonment.”
The fine and expenses were paid, making the night off among the “lasses ” a rather expensive one !
CHAPTER VIII
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Samples of Farmers of the Tyrannical Stamp – Dishonesty in Engaging Servants – How an Unreasonable Farmer Treated his Servants – How he Belaboured his “Shalt” ; and How the Servants Regarded him and his Work
Is last chapter we endeavoured to show the difficulties against which a farm-servant, who is disposed to conduct himself properly, and who wishes something in the way of self-improvement, has to contend, and the disadvantages- too often resulting from the narrow and rade selfishness of the class he has to serve-under which he is laid. Of course there are better and worse amongst masters as well as servants; but enough has been stated to show that, on the whole, servants in place of being classed as worse, might plausibly claim to be better than masters-the latter having means and advantages manifold which the servant not only has not, but which the farmer of a certain order sets himself barbarously against his getting if he can help it. In place of its being a recommendation to such a master that a lad is studious and disposed to read, it is the very reverse. He will prefer a rough, reckless, blaspheming, and ignorant boor to such a youth any day-provided, of course, he has an ample enough endowment of bone and sinew. And this is no overdrawn picture, but the literal truth.
There are some farmers who are in the habit of engaging their servants at feeing markets that take
place far out of their own locality. There are reasons
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for this ; as those who do it are generally men who care very little for the well-being of their servants ; all
that they look for is good value for their money out of the sinews and bones they have hired, and also to have them cheap, and most frequently it is the case that they are so bad masters that they can’t, except with great difficulty, find servants to engage with them, they being too well known in their own district. It is a master of this kind that I am to bring under the reader’s notice.
This master I have now in my eye always went to a feeing market that was a long way out of his own
locality, because there he could with advantage engage his staff of servants. To see him in the market he was a man of uncommon frankness, and when the new servants went home to their new place they met with a like frankness, and were even treated from the whisky bottle. But alas ! all this apparent benignity soon died out, and the real nature of the man was seen. Let us give an example of his manner and method. The bull kept on the farm was taken in from the field during the night, and he became somewhat infuriated, as bulls are wont to do. The master couldn’t be in the least ignorant of this, yet without any scruple, the servant was at once blamed for infuriating the beast by something “he must” have done. One of the cows got lame, and the servant who put them out and in, minus the slightest evidence to support the charge, was blamed for striking her leg with a stone. He put a servant away with a scythe one day to cut some grass. The “sned” or wooden part of the scythe was splintered and tied with a piece of twine, when the servant got it. When he returned from cutting the grass, the master took the scythe, looked at it, and said, ” Ye’ve broken this, an’ put on this piece twine.” This brief summary of this man’s character is, we may say, gathered from the first six days in his service. A habit of mean suspiciousness and unscrupulous disregard of the feelings and rights of others ran through everything he did.
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Now look at the inevitable result. The new race of servants invariably, in the course of a week or two,
discover what sort of a character he was they had engaged with, and also that he could scarcely get any
servants to stop with him, and the heartiness of their service may be judged of. They at once and of
necessity took up the attitude of caring nothing whatever for him or his. He, however, in his blustering
way professed loudly to the servants that he could get others to do his work, and that on the shortest notice, and often, when in some of his tyrannical fits, he would imperatively exclaim, “Go on – if you don’t, I can soon get others that will do it.” Well, how soon he could get others to do his work was occasionally put to actual proof. As in the following instance, one of his servants became sick, and gave up his service. Well, do what he could, it was a fortnight before he found anyone that would consent to engage with him. After that period of time had elapsed he engaged one, but he did not come home to fulfil his engagement, for he had learned the character of him with whom he had engaged. Another fortnight passed before he got another to undertake to serve him, but he likewise did not appear to fulfil his engagement. And all this after the vapouring silly declaration-“Go on; if you don’t, I can soon get others that will do it.”
Good reader, look on this man as a sample of a not inconsiderable class of masters – men, a step, and a long step, as they hold it, above farm-servants – at the helm of affairs in one sense. Take the standing and position of the farm-servant, and what do you think of the comparison ? Is not even the average farm-servant to be regarded as a better man ? I trow he is.
Let us farther note respecting this man, that the den in which his servants had to sleep and spend their
leisure was quite in accordance with what the reader will by this time have learned to expect. The sleeping place, or den rather, at this farm was simply an abomin-
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able one. It had a very insufficient allowance of light, and the space of floor in it was only about one yard in breadth; it was in a low-roofed loft above the stable. It was not ” wind and water-tight,” it was exceedingly cold, and when the wind was blowing outside it was also blowing inside. It is almost needless to add that the new servants-that is, the set of new servants of whom I had personal knowledge, and of whom, shall I say, I was one ?- suffered greatly by severe colds, being so exposed to the elements during the night when sleeping in it.
The reader must not suppose that the sample I have given of the farm ” master ” is exaggerated. It is far
from that ; it is not drawn upon a narrow basis, but on a basis of the broadest limits.
I, of course, speak of my own experience, now seven years ago ; but I could also speak indirectly, but
reliably enough, of much more recent dates. In point of fact, it is not a great number of weeks ago since I
saw the parents of a youthful farm-servant in a very terror-stricken state ; and at what? Just at the very
fact that they had unknowingly allowed one of the members of their family to engage to one of the very
places where lives and rules the very individual I have mentioned as one sample of a farm ” master.”
.
There is often great dishonesty practiced by farmers when engaging their servants, and of which we will
here give a sample. There is a set of farmers who, when engaging servants, are nowise slow to falsify the
real nature of their engagement, and, to entice the simple servant to consent, they will cunningly show a
sixpence or shilling out of their waistcoat pocket as their “arles”. It is an engagement with one of these
“show a sixpence or shilling ” sort of farmers that we are to relate. Men of this class are, as I say, often perfectly dishonest in their engagements : they do not make them by telling the truth, but by telling lies. If they think they can engage you a low figure they
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will very cunningly oil their story with lies, and uphold that the work you would have to do with them would he very easy, when perhaps it would be the hardest that one need ever think of trying. But to proceed with our illustration, taking as a sample a farmer who was very good at exhibiting a sixpence or shilling to tempt the servant to take it, and then, of course, the bargain was closed. The servant, when en-
gaging wished to be cautious, and after other points had been got over asked what kind of byres he had. The engagement was “stiff”- the farmer would only give a very small fee, as is often the case with most of that kind of farmers. The servant, of course, stood up for a good fee, and when he asked about the byres, the farmer described them as being ordinarily good, and at the same time showed a coin from hie waistcoat pocket, and pushed him to take it. The servant accordingly engaged, to find that several of the farmer’s statements were decidedly wide of the truth. The byres, instead of being ordinarily good, were the very reverse, as a short description of them will prove. The houses which were used for byres were thatched, and were of a rather ancient style. In the roof there were a vast number of holes, and when wet weather ensued, the rain poured down on the cattle, which were fattening. So much worse for the cattle, the reader may say. Yes truly, but remember, good reader, that the cattle had, at all costs,
to be kept clean and comfortable; and then, think what extra labour the servant was caused in keeping
them clean. The byres were double, them there was so little room behind the beasts, that one
could not take a straight course to the backside of it, but had to travel round behind one ox and then
another. Some of the doors were so very low that if did not use caution in going out and in at them, he was in danger of breaking his cranium by knocking himself on them. No one would surely call such
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byres ordinarily good, but will very readily call them very bad and inconvenient ; and their badness greatly aggravated the hardship of the man’s half-year’a service.
Generally the master was tyrannical enough. He was disagreeable and crafty in his manners, and during
a six-months’ service with him it was remarked by the servants that he had only once been seen satisfied.
When it drew near six o’clock at night, the time to stop work, you might almost be sure that he would give
you some order which, if it were possible, would make you work some extra time. He tried as much as possible to get all the threshing done on the servants’ own time. On one occasion he tried a somewhat cunning plan, though I hold it perfectly dishonest. to have some of the servants’ leisure time stolen to his threshing. Servants, of course, have every right to decline working more than their appointed time, and with masters of this kind they are as a rule very particular not to do it ; and in the judgment of common sense they are nowise deserving to be favoured with extra time. A well-meaning servant in this master’s employment went once and did a little favour for him- it was work he might only do if it so pleased him-and just think !- while he was doing it he received an amount of uncivil language, almost incredible, from the coarse, ungrateful fellow. When he found that the servants would not do the threshing in their own leisure time, he saw he must let them stop before “lowsin’ time” to do it. However, he had the putting on and off of the water on the mill, and when the foreman gave the signal that it was time to stop, he turned a deaf ear to him, and kept the mill going. However, it was to his own loss, all the servants left the barn as soon as the signal was given, and he fed the mill till it became perfectly choked up, and stood still with the full power of water on, which compelled him to stop his mad career.
This master, to his other peculiarities, added that of avarice in no ordinary degree. He even tried his cattle-
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men to “sort ” the cattle after six o’clock at night, notwithstanding that the charge of cattle was their only
work. The “ten hours a-day ” was a terrible ” bee in his bonnet,” and he often said in a tone approaching a
scream, “I can see nae use for men lyin’ the half o’ the day in the stable”.
This man, though always in haste, was always behind, for he had no regard for the saying, ” What you do, do well ; and that which is not worth doing leave undone,” and in consequence he was always in arrear. He was a man who, as indicated, was scarcely
He was a man who, as indicated, was scarcely ever satisfied, he was ever chiding about something.
But to illustrate his real nature, let us give an incident in which he was concerned. He had many queer ways of going to work, for the sake of “comin’ speed,” but which were often a hindrance. One afternoon he commenced to take in a stack of corn, aided by an old woman and a servant man. The sheaves were taken to the barn door with a cart, but there was no horse to draw it. The first load is built, and now to taking the cart to the barn door ; they only managed to draw it a few feet when it got ” stucken fast ” in the soft ground of the stackyard. To have the cart set agoing a somewhat “rum” plan was tried. The farmer generally rode a small pony, and he went and covered it with old harness, and with a pair of “theets” he fastened it to the backdoor of the cart. The pony pulled wonderfully well ; but the man must have it to go at the gallop, or something like it; and consequently it was checked and freely lashed. When the cart was at the barn door, the pony was let loose, while the sheaves were being taken to the barn. The pony very naturally went and commenced eating out of a stack near by. The farmer seeing it went quietly up to it and struck it with his foot in the mouth with great violence. The poor shaltie from extreme pain and stupour raised its head in the air while the farmer cursed, and seemed pleased to see it thus keenly smarting with pain. When the poor
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creature had lowered its head, it again received a like severe blow in the mouth with the savage’s foot, upon which the unlucky animal reeled suddenly round and bolted, in doing which it came against the tyrant and nearly knocked him all his length among the dubs. Oaths and fierce imprecations were freely vented upon the dumb animal, as it galloped through among the stacks. He next armed himself with a ” cudgel,” and went in pursuit of the run-away pony. He ran a few yards, drawing the “cudgel” in his anger as he went, but being a man of some fifteen or sixteen stones weight, he soon became tired. Fully half-an-hour elapsed before he got hands upon the pony, but when it had the misfortune to fall into his hands he, of course, spent his fury upon it in a fierce hurricane of blows and kicks. We may add that the pony did not pull the cart again, for it rebelled. When it was put to the stable the poor creature actually lay down, and in extreme pain stretched itself out at full length in its stall.
Then, thus much by way of illustration as to the stage of civilisation to be found among one class of the
What did or could the servants care for their work with which they were entrusted? Not a whit
did they care for such a master’s work! The remark of the foreman was to this effect, “In a hurry when he
is present, but when he’s oot o’ the gate a smoke an’ a clatter !” And such it literally and truly was.
But I have more to say on this point yet, and that of a somewhat serious nature.
CHAPTER IX
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Mutual Ill-feeling and Mutual Revenge – Keeping Horses IN and Men OUT in Stormy Weather –
The Servant in the Field outwits the Master in his room – Times of Sickness in the stuffy and
stagnant “Chaumer.”
I HAVE endeavoured, in what has been said, to account for the ill-feeling between masters and servants ;
which has existed for about half a century, and which, in place of diminishing, has steadily grown, as it needs must, owing to the division in position and other respects that exists between the two classes. The
farmer seems to have less respect for his servants than he has for his horses – all his aim is to have good
value out of the bones and sinews he has hired. The abode of the farmer is often that of a palace, comparatively, while that of the servants is little short of a den ; the farmer is fed with choice dainties, while the
servants are not seldom fed with food intentionally made of the most inferior stamp, alike as to material
and cooking. The ill-feeling that exists is terribly against the interests of both classes, beyond all doubt,
though the results of it are but imperfectly understood by the mass of the public not directly concerned with agriculture. As the result of ill-feeling the farmer, by childish, and even worse than childish, actions, seeks to be revenged on his servants ; and too frequently the servants likewise seek to have revenge upon their masters.
We can, for example, point to instances where the
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farmer, to be revenged on his servants, has taken in his horses and left the servants out, exposed to the fury of a storm of wind and rain, doing some outside manual labour. We can in this way point to the case of a farmer who, to have revenge on one of his servants, ordered him to “lowse his horse” and put them to the stable, and then put him away to spread “top dress.” He was put to the top of a hill field to spread, where the farmer might have the pleasure of seeing him from his room window, exposed to the full fury of the storm, doing his work, and of course doing it badly. The storm was very fierce-the wind carrying the rain in white drifting clouds ; and it was but at times that the place where the man was working was to be seen through the blinding storm. When the farmer caught glimpses of his jacket waving in the storm he no doubt laughed to himself with extreme pleasure, and as he paced his comfortable room he was heard talking to himself in such phrases as-“He’s catchin”t ; and it’s fine for ‘im!” But was the servant man really
“catchin’ ‘t” in the storm ?- shall I tell the reader what the farmer was really laughing at ? Yes, I will.
It was not his servant man, but his jacket, which he had tied on the handle of his “graip,” and stuck the
“graip” fast in the ground, he himself having judiciously taken shelter in a cottar house, where he was
quite snug !
We can point to the case of another farmer who was at strife with one of his servants. The servant,
however, was an equal match for him. The farmer tried his utmost endeavour to have him from the
“toon,” and carried the pound notes in his pocket ready to pay him off. An opportunity for the man’s
dismissal never occurred, however, till the term, when actually the pound notes he had in his pocket were, it is said, worn done and hardly passable as legal tender.
I have yet to relate another incident of a more
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serious character. A farmer being in ire at an excellent horseman he had in his service, tried a very
scurvy trick to have out his revenge on the ” chiel.” This man had charge of a very spirited horse, which,
however, he was quite capable of working. The mode adopted was to irritate the animal unobserved, so that it might become unmanageable to its driver. The man as a close observer of the temper and disposition of the animal he had under his charge, and he became suspicious that the beast was being tampered with. He accordingly watched at night, and soon had his suspicion confirmed. Towards midnight the farmer entered the stable with a long sharp-pointed stick, which he thrust into the animal’s flank. The man beheld him for a little, and then came from his hiding place upon him. I need only add that the farmer himself received a very severe ” pounding” -a thrashing richly deserved none will deny -and from the effects of which he was a “bedal” for three weeks, but told none the cause of his ailment. Comment on such conduct is entirely unnecessary.
In fairness, and to hold the balance even, it is my duty now to tell something of what I have observed
on the part of servants, as the results of bad feeling existing between them and their master. When it is
near the term, it is not a very uncommon occurrence that there are dismissals of farm servants, and we may add, without any wages, as farm servants are only in general paid half-yearly. In some instances there may be grounds for dismissal, but on the part of a farmer we must say a dismissal is a very handy thing, as by it he gets his work for nothing. Now, I am not to say that this is the real intent of farmers, viz., to have their work for nothing, unless it may be in exceptional cases ; yet it is not outside the mark to aver that there are such instances. I know the case of a farmer, well as I know my own pocket, who, for a supposed offence, dismissed his servant. And as to this dismissal
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the supposed offence happened at the beginning of the “neep seed,” but it was not till the neep seed was
finished, and “the fire ca’en ” (which is a time of hard work following the putting in of the turnips), that the “chiel” was dismissed. In this instance the farmer waited till the hurry of his work was over, and, at a
time when he had little to do, he dismissed his servant without his sufficient wage.
But I must go on to other illustrations of the result of ill-feeling between the servants and masters. There
are cases where, when it is near the term, horses are purposely irritated by the servants in order that they
may become unmanageable by the new servants. To usage of this kind in not a few cases, I believe, may be traced the fact of spirited horses getting restive and troublesome. We can also point to cases of ignorant farm-servants who, to have revenge, have put pins and tacks into the paddings of the horse collars and saddles, when they were leaving the place, so that the horses might be made ungovernable.
Under tyrannical masters, servants don’t mind pushing the work intrusted to them when it is a hurried
time. I recollect an instance where the servants gave themselves so very little care for their masters’ work,
that it got so far behind that before he got the ” neep seed” finished he had to obtain the assistance of several neighbouring farmers for some days, and had also to engage several extra hands. This was the direct result, mainly, of putting his servants to outside work, and keeping the horses inside when it was very rainy weather. As a sample of revenge on the part of a servant who was dismissed without any wages, take this .- In the night time he returned to the place he had been at, and getting hold of a bag of Swedish turnip seed, he emptied it out, while for the seed he put in “runch seed” (Sinapis arvenses ) of the botanist, which is very like Swedish turnip seed, and so is the young plant, which is very often mistaken for a turnip when
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growing among young turnip plants. With this “runch seed” a turnip field was sown, and the consequence was a crop of weeds instead of turnips. Of course the ignorant recklessness that prompted such an act admits of no excuse.
With the class of farmers disposed to be tyrannical, it is a common practice to engage very young hands, on the supposition that, while cheaper as to wages, they will be easier to bully and drive on. And such may be true enough as a general rule, though it frequently enough happens that these green hands, through the very lack of sobriety which experience brings, are driven to do things that greatly outvie in recklessness what older heads would never think of doing or assisting to do.
Bad sleeping places have been already sufficiently spoken of. When illness comes upon a servant, the
circumstances are often deplorable enough. Cases have occurred of men in high fever lying for days in a badly ventilated, ill-smelling place, with no one to look near them other than a rough fellow servant ; and no medical aid called in. I have known of one or two cases where young men lay thus, actually delirious at times. Aye, I have known them-with the firm conviction that death was not far off, so ill they were – insist on getting driven away in order to obtain some sort of care and nursing ; driven in a wheeled vehicle for miles, then to be lifted into bed. In one such case known to me, the the patient had got over the journey, and after he had slept and again wakened, his first feeling – to use his own words-were, ” What o’clock is’t, I wonder ? I thought it had been but the small hours of the morning, as I had been so much accustomed to them of late. The clock began to strike, and I quivered to think I was to hear but one stroke, when lo, there were five, and oh, how glad I was. I now began to feel I was much refreshed from a long sleep, and was much better.”
In the place where he had previously lain, comfort
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-able sleep had been impossible. In fact, the sanitary conditions were so bad that only strong health could withstand them ; and the man who was ill had hardly the chance to recover. A curious state of matters, one would say, in a situation where fresh air at least might have been had so easily, and all other needed comfort with little expenditure or trouble.
CHAPTER X
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Love and Courtship among Farm-servants – Secrecy leading to Immorality — A fierce Midnight Encounter ‘twixt an irate farmer and an amatory intruder – An uncomfortable Shower-bath bestowed on an impertinent wooer — A Graveyard Scene-An Unlucky Wooer falls headlong into the “Sowen Bowie”- Pernicious Results of the present system.
IN this chapter I am to say something of what I have observed by way of courtship among farm-servants.
Courtship to the ploughman boy and the farm lassie is attended with great difficulty. It is a thing that
must be done by way of secret. It is seldom they can claim a short time together, say in the evening, in
decent hours, to express their love feeling.
When a’ the rest gaes to their bed.
The ploughman comes and sees me.
This couplet expresses the state of the facts literally. It is after the farmer and his wife have retired to rest,
and the house is quite still, that the ploughman has to venture in to see the object of his affection ; and then it must be done in an entirely stealthy sort of way, or the result might be the lover’s presence discovered, and the lassie threatened with dismissal. Such dismissals do sometimes actually take place. A decent servant lassie, who was in the same place as myself, told me that one evening, in letting in her lover she had likewise to let in the cat that had been shut out, in doing which she made a slight noise with the door sufficient to be heard by the farmer and the guidwife. The farmer
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lighted a candle, and in his night dress stalked out of his room into the servant girl’s. His approach was fortunately heard by the two lovers, but what were they to do? She put her lover into her bed, in one corner of which some of her spare petticoats were hanging, the young ploughman’s head and body being ensconced in the garments as he stood rigidly jammed into the corner. She then went to the door of her room, and met the farmer, who asked what she had been doing “.
“I let in the cat,” she replied.
“A twa-fittit cat, I doot,” was his abrupt reply.
He passed her in her room door, and went and searched for the “twa-fittit cat,” who, however, was not found. “I stood wi’ a quakin’ heart, ” she said, “as he searched the bed, and my sweetheart was a’ trem’lin’ as he saw the shaidow o’ his lang fingers in the candle licht through my petticoats gae glamachin’ doon the bedclaes.”
The ploughman boy and farm lassie have not the privilege of a weekly half-holiday to enjoy a walk with each other, like most towns’ working-people and trades folks nowadays. Their half-holiday, if such it can be called, is half-yearly, at the feeing market, And the great secretiveness with which courtship has to be carried on among farm-servants is the very means of converting it into a fertile source of immorality, of the kind by which our region is disgraced, and the fair fame of our women in respect of that which is a woman’s highest crown of honour debased. Secret courting is in short the source of illegitimacy, midnight brawling and many other evils.
Well, but to relate some of my experiences during my time at farm work. Here was a young man in his prime -a stout and muscular fellow – with a mind of considerable development and also tact. Well, he is off among the “lasses”, and has been admitted into the servants’ room. There are two women, and conse-
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nently the “chiel ” has in company with him another lad wooing the other woman. The two couples are
seated upon their chest lids – the only thing they can have in the form of a seat. They are socially enjoying
each other’s company in an endearing conversation, when they are suddenly startled by a call-” Who’s
there ?” A dead silence follows the call, and after a few seconds another call comes-“Who’s there ?” Still
no answer, but silence, upon which they heard a firm smart footstep cross the kitchen floor, and the door was opened at the foot of the stair leading to the garret in which they were.
“Fa’s there ? was the next cry.
“It’s me,” was the answer ” d’ye ken me?”
“Come awa’ oot o’ that, than,” said the farmer.
A little stifled motion now ensues in the garret, and the young man we have specially referred to put on his boots and fastened them. He had taken them off on entering not to make a noise, and the companion who was with him went and hid himself in the garret. He then descended the stair, and as he had been a servant at the place before, he was familiar with the set of the house. He expected to find the farmer at the foot of the stair, but did not, and he crossed the kitchen to the door, thinking he was to make his exodus without any trouble ; he found the door securely fastened, however, and as he attempted to open it he was pounced upon by the farmer, who had hid himself with a view to capturing the unlucky ” breet.”
“Fa are ye ?” asked the farmer again, upon which the guidwife with a candle in her hand came to his
assistance. The “chiel,” upon seeing the light approaching him, bent down his head that his face might
not be seen, for by a glance at it he knew he would be known. The guidwife went up to him, asking, ” Faur
d’ye come fae l” and was to lift up his head to see his face, upon which he seized his opportunity and blew
out the candle
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“Hoot ‘Oman, gyang an’ licht yer licht that we may see fa he is,” said the farmer. The candle was again lighted, and brought to have the man’s face examined, but this time he wrenched it from the guidwife’s hand and broke it in pieces ; and he now began to struggle to get the door opened. The farmer, beginning to feel he had not sufficient strength to hold his captured guest, cried, “Oman, canna ya get a licht tae see fa he is?”
“He’s broken my guid can’le in inches, the villain ‘t he is!” replied the guidwife.
“Gyang for the paraffin lamp, than.” The lamp was brought, but it too was immediately blown out. It was again rekindled, and brought to have the man examined. Upon the second approach of the lamp the captured ploughman struck it in the bottom with his foot and sent it flying in pieces (for it was a glass one), leaving only a small fragment of the handle in the guidwife’s hand. The farmer, fairly roused at the breaking of the lamp, began to handle his prisoner rather roughly, which only tended to call forth the strength that lay in the muscles of the latter, who, though disposed to treat the whole affair in a semi- jocular way at first, had also got angry. He now seized the farmer by the cuff of his coat, and a terrible tugging at each other ensued, in which the farmer found himself only about second best. He was thrown against the leg of the dresser with such force that it was broken, yet he persisted in retaining a hold of the errant “ chiel.” The crippled dresser by and by tilted over, hurling a mass of dishes to the stone floor with a great noise-upon it, in fact, the material for the servants’ breakfast was set, consisting of cakes and meal and milk to make the brose, with the dishes to hold it. The man’s companion, who had hid himself in the women’s sleeping place, now became alarmed on hearing the uproar below him, and, taking his boots in his hand, he came down the stair on his stocking soles and made quietly to the door, unobserved, we
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may say, by the farmer, who in the darkness was still wrestling with the man he had in hand. He found the
door fast, but fortunately he put his hand upon the bolt and drew it, and on opening the door he made his feet his best friends, not taking time to care for the weal or woe of his companion. The farmer, when
struggling with his antagonist partly below the broken dresser, seized him by the throat ; but the “chiel”
with a jerk rid himself of his hold, and was about to escape, when the farmer got a fresh hold of the scarf he wore.
A scarf at that time was very fashionable as a neck dress, the ends hanging down the breast. It was
fastened round the neck with a “running knot,” and when one of the ends was pulled it ran tight to the
neck. By the farmer pulling the scarf it of course became tight round the “chiel’s” neck, which caused
him to struggle in desperation, under a sense of imminent strangulation. They again both got to their feet, when a most desperate scuffle ensued, during which they knocked against the partition on the end of the kitchen, upon which was hanging a number of meat covers and other utensils, which were sent to the floor with a great noise. The farmer, who by this time was about wholly exhausted, and had only a hold of the scarf with one hand, stumbled by tripping himself on the debris that had collected on the floor, when the ploughman managed to shake his foot clear, and made his exit by the door now wide open.
I may just add that, as the result of this fine fray, the kitchen floor lay covered with a mass of ” lems,”
mixed with broken cakes, meal, milk, candle grease and spilt paraffin, with here and there a meat cover or other utensil ; and round the sadly-beset chiel’s neck there was for several weeks to be seen a red ring, caused by the tight grip of his scarf under the farmer’s tugging. And all this the result of a ploughboy’s visit to his sweetheart ! I don’t defend him, or say whether his
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visit was one to be in all ways approved or not, but I do say the incident on his part is a simple illustration
of a very bad system. Of the choleric farmer and his wife the most that can be said is that ” they wrocht for what they got.”
The illicit behaviour of farm servants in their courtship is partly accounted for by a low tone of morality and ignorance. The obscene and libidinous talk that is indulged in by farm servants does much towards shaping the young mind in that direction. I once was in service where a young female of good education and training, one indeed who was qualified to fill a superior position, had the misfortune to have to engage at a very rough place as kitchenmaid. When first I saw her in the kitchen, I felt sorry indeed for her, for the place she had come to was one where gross indelicacy was rife, and where contamination could be escaped only by something approaching a miracle. In this case it was but too vivid an illustration of the saying about the easiness of the descent to a certain place. The girl at first blushed scarlet at the libidinous talk uttered in her presence and hearing. But alas ! ere six months were gone she had fallen, and ere
long she herself could make men blush. This is one example of a young creature, not necessarily of a bad
so much perhaps as a facile and imitative disposition ; and without experience or the safeguard of fixed principle, actually ruined in less than a year, through the social surroundings amid which she was cast-in a respectable farmhouse !
Another illustration of a different sort is this. A poor stripling of naturally rather low tastes, and who
could command only a single suit of apparel which scarcely covered his nakedness, is so worked upon by
the talk and example of those about him that he too must make up to a lass. His attractions personally are meagre enough, but just as she is an insignificant lass whom the lads don’t visit, so ere his six months were
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ont he had found a suitable object for his attentions. Having at next term made a long flit, she is now
beyond his reach, and he must find another. Learning that at next ” toon ” there are two splendid lasses, he speedily ” cocks his bonnet ” at one of them ; and on a very early night after his arrival in the locality he is at their window calling upon them for admittance. The women-two decent, respectable, well-doing
lassies – gave him no encouragement, not so much as to speak to him. Night after night he calls to be
admitted, and “prigs with them tae lat ‘im in.” He becomes a continued annoyance to them, for, notwith-
standing they have ordered him off, he simply tells them what night he is to call again ! His stolid im-
pudence served him badly, however, in this case. For the women, seeing the thing was not longer to be
borne, informed the men about the “toon” of the repeated visits of the stripling, and that he had said he was to call again on such and such a night. Well pleased at the prospect of a ” rig,” these latter made ready to give him a fitting reception. At the back of the farm kitchen, where the women’s window was, there was a long hollow space, and about a few feet from the back of it the ground rose to some height, where two of the men, each armed with a pail tilled from the liquid drippings of the manure court, took their stations. The stripling had no sooner approached, and given the usual raps at the window, when a pailful of the unsavoury liquid descended on his head and shoulders, followed by another and another, by which he was knocked to the ground, thoroughly drenched and covered with dirt, This was in a cold frosty December night, yet so pitiful was his plight that on the way home he took off some of his clothes and washed them in a burn. The day following he said he was unwell, and kept his bed until his clothes got dried.
A rough, not to say barbarous remedy, it will be
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said, and perhaps truly enough. Yet, incredible as it may seem, only a few days had passed when the silly and vicious idiot himself told the story of his mishap to his companions, and in such a way as to put it in the light of a rather a brilliant adventure ; while, with vaporous boastfulness, he talked of the terible thrashing he would give those who had so vilely abused him.
While the inherent evils of illicit courtship carried on in secret are many and gross, the reckless, mischievous, and utterly contemptible interference often persistently attempted in the case of those pursuing a true and honourable courtship, is also a source of most serious evil. Of this I must give a few samples that have come under my observation. Take the case of a young man and woman known to be courting with a view to honourable marriage, and you will find fellow servants at times watching them, and with cunningly invented lies and the like endeavouring to put strife between the two. A happy marriage has once and again to my knowledge been prevented in this diabolical fashion, with the general result of the pair becoming reckless. I can point to the case of a young man thus treated who was a decent well-disposed lad, and had a fair sum money in the bank saved from his earnings, and he became quite reckless, and in due course was the father of three illegitimate children. I have also to note the case of another similarly treated, who was in service, I may say, at the same place as myself, and he has also become a reckless midnight brawler; and though out of my range of acquaintance now, I I have been led to know by newspaper paragraphs of his repeated appearances at the Sheriff Court. And all this, as I have said, the result of disappointment, brought about by the wilful agency of others-acting, no doubt, on an unstable mind, a mind not subject to self-control -yet not otherwise ill disposed. I may here relate a courtship case with something of the ludicrous in it, though involving also some of
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the features spoken of. Two men in service at one farm were courting two lasses, also in service together at another place. The house need not be specified further than to say that it adjoined the parish church-
yard. The two men had gone quietly through the God’s acre to see if the coast was clear, but found the
house still astir. Fearing they might be observed, they crept in below a “table” gravestone ; and were
not long there when they heard footsteps near by. The feet of the new comers carried them also to the
side of the enclosure, evidently to ascertain the status quo in the adjoining habitation.
“Od, min, they ‘re nae come yet,” said one.
” Na,” replied the other, ” but they winna be lang; we ‘ll seat ourselves on this gravesteen an’ watch them.”
“But they may notice ‘s sittin’ here, an’ see my fite breeks.”
“Ou, nae maiter,” was the reply. “They’ll only get a gweed scare ; they ‘ll think we’re some o’ the speerits o’ the deid come to jeedgment upo’ them for visitin’ the minister’s women at this time o’ nicht, an’ syne bidin’ into Sunday profanin’ the Lord’s day.”
This talk fully overheard by the men lying perdu enabled them to ascertain that the intruders were two
of their own fellow-servants, who had sneakingly followed them. They next seated themselves as pro-
posed, and waited, and better than waited, but no visitors appeared. All was now still as still could be, and the two men, feeling more or less eerie, began to talk in a somewhat serious strain as to the nature of the place they were in, and as to how many dead people there were buried in it.
“Foo mony micht there be ?” asked one of them.
The other, after some serious consideration, said, ” I suppose there ‘ill be a thousan.’ ”
“There ‘s-more-than-that” was groaned out, in a voice of unearthly hollowness from under the
gravestone on which they were seated !
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The men on the gravestone were startled in no ordinary degree, and uttered ejaculations of horror . Just then one of the men under the stone put out a hand and made a “glamach” at their legs . They rose screaming , and attempted to run but they were so afraid that they fell several times before they reached the gate of the graveyard . I may add they ran in hot haste to their homes, and when they got to their “chaumer” they took their Bibles- a book to which they had been entire strangers for months and read several chapters. They never went to watch the two lads again, and it was long before they related to any one what befell them. For a time at least they were greatly changed men, and often passed a part of their spare time reading their Bibles.
A yet more ludicrous case was that of a “ crack lass “ who, like other crack lasses, with most unfeminine recklessness, admitted a number of lads to visit her each on his appointed night. It was in the month of July that one of her sweethearts, in passing, in place of rapping, had simply removed the window, and was standing with his head and shoulders thrust in thereat talking to her, when other two approached, and, seeing their opportunity, seized the fellow’s legs and thrust him headlong in at the window. As bad luck would have it, the “sowen bowie” stood right under the window inside , into which he fell head foremost, besmearing himself and sending the liquid floating all over the floor ! In her anger the woman struck at him lustily as he lay on the floor, his head still in the bowie and half stunned, and thereafter, it was said, unceremoniously thrust him out again the way he came. Well, well, ‘tis enough to say that the crack lass in question ran her course, which, alas, in place of ending in happy matrimony, as might easily have been, seeing she was personally attractive and had really good offers, ended in her being the mother of one or more secretly brought up illegitimate children.
CHAPTER XI
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Horsemanship – Stealing Corn to Horses- Harness and Harness-cleaning– Horseman Meetings, ” The Horse- man’s Word,” and attendant evils – A practical view of the Servants position – The responsibility of Country Ministers.
CHAPTER XI
Note there are no further page numbers as this chapter was missing from the edition of the book used
A Good “Place” – How Servants and Cattle alike were judiciously cared for – The general question – Concluding Suggestions as to improving the condition of Farm-servants
Enough, perhaps, and at anyrate more then it was pleasant to be compelled to say, has now been said of the infelicities and hardships of the farm-servant’s life. Before concluding my Tale is is a relief to turn, from the injustice and ill-usage to which the class are subjected, to something fitted to relieve the picture with a brighter shade, There are good masters and good “places” to be found; and I have now to speak of one such case : a farm where the servants were respected by their master, and where, in consequence, the servants had respect for the work they had to do. It was not there a continual trying by the master to have the servants working extra time. He used every care, in fact, not to bid the servants work beyond their regular hours. The social and spiritual interests of the servants were also attended to by the master. The “chaumer” was a ness room, well-enclosed, well-lighted, with a pure fresh air in it, and regularly cleaned out. The beds were also very comfortable. The “diets” did not consist of milk adulterated with water ; the milk was given rich and pure. The “Brassica blade” was properly cooked, nor did “brose,” potatoes, and “kail” form the only unvarying round of diet. Beef had its place on the table, and in times of hard work the food was both ample in quantity and of the moat superior quality going.
. A very admirable feature of this place was the attention paid to the servants’ moral and spiritual interests. In order that all the servants might have the privilege of attending church on Sunday the cattle were only twice fed or “sorted,” instead of, as on other days, three times. The reader must understand that with farm servants it is ofttimes impossible to get to church, on account of the amount of labour they have to do on a Sunday. I may also mention that by some farmers additional work is given to servants on a Sunday in connection with the cattle, such as putting them all out to the water. I have known such instances as that of an Established Church elder ordering his servants when “the fowk were at the kirk tae put a’ the beasts oot tae the water; an’ lat them get a dance,” notwithstanding they never had such watering and airing on a week day. The “guid elder,” had of course to be present at the “kirk,” and ” gae roun’ wi’ the ladle to gather the bawbees.”
Whether the servants always faithfully fulfilled the order is another question ; in point of fact, they did not, but perhaps let out a few stirks, and hunted them with the dog to make an appearance of footmarks about the court-yard. But the important point is that in the case I have referred to, and in other cases where the system is adopted of feeding the cattle only twice on Sundays, in place of the animals suffering thereby, it seemed to me that they actually throve better. Nor is the reason far to seek. Keeping them short by one feed sharpens the appetite, and enables digestion to go on better than if no such break occurred. Physiology will confirm belief in the wholesomeness of the practice.
At the farm now under notice the Sunday was really observed as a hallowed day, and day of rest; not a day for visitors to bang about and inspect the byres, and the like. A large number of interesting and edifying books were also given to the servants, from which they could make their selection of Sunday reading.
Family worship was also conducted every evening among the servants which had a great moral influence on their social condition It is truly to be regretted that this is so seldom done by the heads of our farm kitchens. There, indeed, family worship is rarely enough witnessed. In all my experience I can only mention two other places where it was kept up in any shape ; and these to the effect of its being sometimes gone through on the Sabbath evening!
Well, I have no hesitation in holding up the place to which I have referred as a model place. At it peace and goodwill existed between master and servant, and the manner in which things were conducted about it tended greatly to annul that root of bitterness and ill-will which so frequently prevails, as the moss ignorant reader who has followed me thus far should now know.
The improvement of the condition of farm-servants has engaged, and still is engaging, the attention of many. And from this Tale it ought to be clearly seen that an improvement is needed, and that right early. Yet to this need for improvement not a few have managed to shut their eyes and ears. How have they done this? Well, this way, as far as my observation goes :- They say- “Oh, we ken better ; that may have been formerly : but it’s some aul’ man that writes that Tale. There are a set of ill-behav’t follows still nae doobt. But things are improved now.” Well, I am neither old nor grey-headed ; some summer suns have yet to roll before my years number three tens, so that, taking eleven years out of this life at farm work, the
things referred to in the Tale must be acknowledged to be things of the present day. And however im-
perfectly I may have told my story, I have nothing extenuate nor set down aught in malice.
Let some one with practical personal knowledge come forward and contradict me on the basis of facts, if he can.
Then as to the great need for improvement. This is not the place to discuss the various attempts that have been made, or methods suggested, for the improvement of the condition of farm-servants. But the certain way to accomplish improvement is first to give the farm-servant social comforts. The miserable dens in which they so generally sleep are a scandal and a disgrace to a Christian country in the nineteenth century. Yet the only way to have this accomplished would seem to be by Act of Parliament. It is needless to wait for improvement in any other way -it has already been waited for too long. The birds and their nests are now protected by Act of Parliament, to say nothing of the laird’s game ; and why should not the sleep-
ing places of farm servants be so protected? Let it be enacted that their “chaumers” or bedrooms shall be of a certain size, according to the number that sleep in them, and perfectly ventilated and lighted ; and at a certain distance from dunghills and pigstyes and the like; “wind and water tight,” and kept clean and comfortable. Make offences against the regulating Act be punishable by a fine of adequate amount. And let it be on the same footing as the Wild Bird Act – namely, that all farm-servants shall have the power to inform the police when the Act is violated ; and that after the expense of the prosecution is paid from the fine imposed, the farm-servant who informed shall be paid the one-half, and the other be put into the hands of the inspector of poor for their good-that is, in the parish where the offence happened.
Another thing that is necessary to the improvement of the conditions of farm-servants is that they have
more education. This of course is much dependent on themselves, yet they experience considerable
difficulty from want of suitable books and other helps. Among farm-servants I have seen a very good and successful class conducted in a large “chaumer” where one of the number was capable of conducting it. Arithmetic was successfully taught at it, and I may add that all the servants who attended it, with the exception of one, have now bettered their condition and have left “followin’ the plough.”
Farm-servants themselves have a sense of their ignorance, and to this they attribute much of their folly, as well as their unimproved condition, There is a far greater thirst for self-improvement among
farm-servants than is generally believed, as is often shown by the efforts they make to obtain it. Take the following for example :- I was in service where there was a public library available, and at the place where I was there were some eight of us, all of whom joined the library. It was opened monthly, and two volumes were given out at a time. Thus there were sixteen volumes brought to the place once a month, and generally they had to be carried in a corn rack for a distance of about six miles ! This, then, is a fair sample of what farm-servants, when opportunity exists, will do for self improvement.
Again, were books placed within the reach of farm-servants they would find interest in them, and have something to engage their minds in their spare time. In the parish to which I referred in last chapter, where the minister kept a library going among farm-servants, the following incident occurred, which I may relate in proof of this :- A farm-servant known to me was reading a work on Archæology. On the farm where he was engaged there were some “cairns,” and as a consequence be was led to think that about these cairns there must be some ancient human graves. Accordingly a night was set on which he and a companion of his were to have a dig. Before venturing on their night expedition to the place, one of them took his Bible and read a chapter for each of them, and when they went off, armed with picks and spades, he stuck his Bible in his pocket. They went and dug, bat by themselves were unable to open the grave, which was closed with a large stone. But that same spring, within a few yards of the same place, interesting antiquarian relics were turned up by the plough, and looked after with care.
In the same way I might refer to farm-servants going long journeys in pursuit of zoological and botanical specimens. In one case I know of, a journey of over twenty miles was undertaken for this object by a plain farm-servant. Not so despicable surely in a member of a much-despised class.
To touch simply on another and perhaps larger phase of the question. It has often been suggested that to improve their own social position, and enable them to rear their families properly, married servants ought to have, in addition to a house, the keep of a cow. The suggestion is good, and where acted on in the right spirit, cannot fail to be most beneficial. But might not farm-servants try a little in these times in
the way of self-help, in this direction-Why not meet in social conference at the half yearly feeing market time, or other fit season, and club a little of their wages in companies for the purpose of leasing or buying farms in Canada or the United States? This were an object worth striving for surely. And though wages be somewhat down now, it would not be so difficult, for say a dozen young fellows, companions, to put aside as much in course of a few years as would perhaps a good moderate-sized farm, partly under cultivation, in say , Ontario? Once masters of a good freehold they could arrange as to management and labour, and share the profits ; two or three emigrating perhaps to possess and occupy, wish the view of the others following as the joint undertaking developed, and home savings accumulated. With such an objective in view their whole future prospect would be changed ; and surely better strive to rise into the condition of actual occupiers and owners, than spend the best of their days labouring hard for those who merely wish to get as much value for their money as they can out of their bones and sinews; and otherwise are less careful of their comfort and well-being than they are of the comfort and well-being of their
cattle – the ultimate prospect when broken down by years and toil being simply THE POORHOUSE.
[THE END.]